Pentagon Deploys More Troops to Southern Border Amid Immigration Crackdown

The Pentagon Deploys More Troops to the Southern Border

The Pentagon is sending an additional 2,500 to 3,000 troops to the southern border, bolstering the Trump administration's ongoing crackdown on immigration. This deployment includes soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 2nd Stryker Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, who will be joined by specialists in public affairs, intelligence, and engineering.

The deployment was planned earlier this year and comes despite a decrease in border crossings since President Donald Trump's inauguration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the border with Mexico last month, stating that all options remain on the table as part of the crackdown. This move aligns with the Department of Homeland Security's broader efforts to prevent undocumented migrants and drug smugglers from entering the U.S.

Thousands of troops are already involved in assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in detecting and apprehending migrants attempting to cross the border illegally. The newly deployed soldiers will likely be transported to Arizona via rail and trucks, potentially with stops in other states. Army officials view this deployment as an opportunity for troops to train with Stryker vehicles, which weigh roughly 20 tons and can carry up to 11 soldiers. These vehicles have been used in recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and were recently provided by the Biden administration to Ukraine for their fight against Russia.

Trump has consistently advocated for deploying the U.S. military within the country as a show of force, both to curb migration and to suppress civil protests. During his first term, approximately 8,000 troops were sent to the border, primarily tasked with laying out razor wire and assisting CBP with logistical support.

While border crossings initially surged during the early days of the Biden administration due to the rollback of restrictions from Trump's first term, those numbers have significantly declined following renewed efforts by U.S. and Mexican authorities to curb the flow of migrants attempting to cross the border.